Chapter Text
Severus had planned to go into the Muggle part of London for a time, but with the revelation that he should have had Harry long before now coming to light, he no longer felt as if he could. Not to mention, Harry was exhausted, obvious from the boy drooling on his shoulder. He sighed, slipping back to the Leaky Cauldron, and back to his quarters in Hogwarts.
Once there, Severus lay Harry in the middle of the bed, carefully covering him with one of the blankets, and stood there a moment, more than a little shocked. Logically, if he took the time to think that way, this was a good thing. With Sirius currently in Azkaban-and as much as Severus hated it, he had to free Sirius, he wouldn’t wish that hell on even them-and Lupin off the grid, he was the next thing on their list of guardians, and Petunia had been specifically listed for him not to go. WIth that in mind, Harry would stay with him, and he could easily get custody of him.
It only mattered, of course, if they could find Lupin. Perhaps they could. Perhaps they couldn’t. Severus didn’t think it mattered. He would have everything in order before they found him, if they did. WIth all the letters he had sent before, he would be safe enough.
His fireplace dinged quietly, and Severus looked over towards it, frowning slightly. Who would be floo calling now? He moved over, kneeling near the fireplace.
“Severus my boy. Can I come through?” Severus’s eyes widened, and he took a small step back.
“Give me a moment, Albus, I… need to clean up a bit.” Albus’s face disappeared from the fireplace, and Severus turned quickly. “Mipsy!”
With a crack, a small house elf appeared, fiddling with the corner of the stark white pillow case it wore. Severus moved quickly, lifting Harry up and turning to Mipsy.
“I need you to take him to Minerva for me. Tell her that the Headmaster came by.” Mispy nodded, shifting and wrapping an arm around the still sleeping boy, and apperating out of the wards. Severus sighed, pulling the blankets back into general order before tapping the fireplace with his wand, alerting Albus.
Albus came through into Severus’s quarters, taking a look around appearing absentminded, but Severus could see the calculated look in his eyes. Severus stared back him, shields in his mind flying up before Albus could look him in the eyes.
“Severus. I’ve been keeping track of young Harry Potter recently, and, well, I seem to have come into a problem. He’s disappeared from his Aunt and Uncle’s house.” Severus kept a tight lid on his rage, and nodded slightly.
“Unfortunate.” He stared down Albus, before finally the old man looked away, sighing softly.
“I need you to look into it, Severus. See if you can find him and get him back to his family.” Severus sighed, before nodding.
“I’ll see what I can find, Albus.” Severus offered nothing, and, after he sent a final searching look at the potions master, Albus stepped back into the fireplace and took off.
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Minerva sat quiet in her office, going over some of the homework still left over to grade from before the holidays. She was scratching her way through a fifth years abysmal essay when a small pop sounded in her office. She looked up from her work, seeing a small house elf, holding-
“Mipsy?”
“Miss McGonagall! Master Albus came into Mister Snape’s Quarters! He is telling Mipsy to take Mister Potter to Miss McGonagall so Mipsy is bringing Mister Potter to you, miss!” McGonagall nodded a moment, shifting and lifting Harry into her own arms, frowning at just how light he was.
“Thank you Mipsy. When Severus’s quarters are clear, if he doesn’t come himself, could you come down yourself, to take Harry back down?”
“Yes Miss!” Mipsy bowed quickly, ears falling forward, before she brushed them back behind her head as she stood again.
“Thank you, Mipsy, you can go now.” Mipsy nodded and popped out, most likely back to the kitchens. Minerva sighed softly, holding Harry close to her chest, before settling down in her chair, leaning back with him. He was sleeping, quiet and peaceful for now, and Minerva didn’t want to wake him by trying to continue grading her essays.
She looked down at him, frowning slightly. He was far too light, she knew that much, and he looked pale and drawn, as if he had been sick and never fully got over it. Minerva thought that it must be true, seeing how Severus seemed so upset when he brought him back from the Dursleys’. She wouldn’t be much surprised. She had told Albus that they were the worst kind of Muggles.
Only a few minutes later, the fireplace dinged softly, and she shifted, leaning back to let Severus through. He brushed some soot off of himself, before moving over to her.
“Albus knows Harry isn’t there anymore. He seems to either suspect that I have him, or I know who does. He wants me to look into his disappearance.” Minerva nodded a moment, shifting and letting Severus take Harry back into his arms.
Severus stood there a moment, looking over Harry, one hand settled on his back, thumb rubbing in small circles. Minerva was quiet, allowing him that moment, before she shifted, sitting up and dragging Severus’s attention away from the boy in his arms. He sighed softly, shaking his head.
“I… took him to Gringotts earlier today.” He murmured, slowly circling around her desk to settle into the chair there, usually reserved for students. It was a bit smaller than her own, and he shifted, bringing his legs up and holding himself in such a way to curl into a ball around Harry, protective over the small boy.
Minerva watched this all, passively, keeping her emotions off her face, though that didn’t mean the strike of joy racing through her was any less true. He was already more of a parent than Minerva ever thought he could be. “Oh?”
“He was supposed to come to me.” Severus said softly, looking down at the mess of black that was flattened against his shoulder, where Harry was drooling. “After the mutts, it was me. Mutually, Lily and Potter decided that if the other Marauders couldn’t care for their child, I… I would get him.”
She raised an eyebrow at him, staying silent as he seemed to finally begin to process the information he had learned earlier. She wasn’t that surprised. During the war, she and Lily would sit together and drink tea, and Lily often spoke of how she would try to find Severus again, to forgive him for everything, once the war was over. Severus seemed inclined to stay quiet for now, staring at the small boy in his arms. Minerva sighed. “She forgave you for any of the mistakes you may have made, Severus. I have my suspicions she forgave you soon after the day that broke you two. It was pride, that kept her away.”
Severus looked up at her, blinking quickly, in a way that had Minerva suspecting he was close to tears. She sighed, then took the chance, standing and walking around the desk herself, hugging Severus close to her. As expected, he froze.
Unexpected was him shifting Harry in his arms to have one free to cling back to Minerva. They sat there a moment, Minerva tactfully ignoring the wet spot growing on her shoulder, before Severus sighed, pulling a way and swiping his sleeve over his eyes, rubbing away the tear blotches, hiding away the proof of his emotions. Minerva said nothing, letting have this, casting a silent drying charm at her robes as she moved back around to her chair. They sat in silence together, Severus holding Harry close to his chest, petting his hair down quietly, Minerva scratching through a few more essays.
When Minerva next looked up, it was to see Severus, eyes closed, curled around Harry. She smiled a moment, before conjuring a blanket and covering the two of them with it, letting them sleep.